Shubhanshu Shukla India’s Trailblazer Set to Make Historic Space Voyage 40 Years After Rakesh Sharma

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, is a prominent figure in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and an astronaut selected for India's historic space missions. He was commissioned as a fighter pilot in June 2006 and has accumulated over 2,000 flight hours on various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI and MiG series.

In 2019, Shukla was selected for the IAF's astronaut program and underwent rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. He was later chosen as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), scheduled for spring 2025, making him the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) on a private mission. This journey marks a significant milestone for India, following Rakesh Sharma's historic flight in 1984. Shukla aims to share his experiences with India, carrying cultural items and even practicing yoga in space.

 

Source: NDTV, Times of India, India TV News, Wikipedia